I'll try to make a short demo as well, still terrible at UB but hopefully it will work as simple demonstration.
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Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread
- Thread starter dbassnut
- Start date
I'll try to make a short demo as well, still terrible at UB but hopefully it will work as simple demonstration.
Okay, so here we have a short demo: NXT --> Pedalboard --> Roland Duo Capture Ex with high impedance switch active
1. NXT, treble all the way open, no effects
2. with the Acoustikar engaged, "Jumbo" simulation, body at 12, top at 01:30
3. same as before but with the tiniest bit of reverb added (TC hall of fame)
4. same as before, Acoustikar and HOF, but switched to standard mode instead of jumbo
5. NXT without any effects but with treble turned down a bit, then turning it back up a bit and then turning it completely off
Would be interesting to hear some opinions on this, it could still be tweaked a lot on the Acoustikar as well as with the reverb and of course EQing the entire thing.
1. NXT, treble all the way open, no effects
2. with the Acoustikar engaged, "Jumbo" simulation, body at 12, top at 01:30
3. same as before but with the tiniest bit of reverb added (TC hall of fame)
4. same as before, Acoustikar and HOF, but switched to standard mode instead of jumbo
5. NXT without any effects but with treble turned down a bit, then turning it back up a bit and then turning it completely off
Would be interesting to hear some opinions on this, it could still be tweaked a lot on the Acoustikar as well as with the reverb and of course EQing the entire thing.
Here is a sample first with the Acoustic Sim effect on and then off.
MK Studio EUB -> fdeck HPF -> MS-100bt: {Acoustic Sim -> Avalon Di5 -> Ambience} -> Sonic Port XT
I recorded this direct from the Sonic Port XT with Music Memos. The only effect I toggle off is the Acoustic Sim at about half way. Everything in the brackets is an effect on the ms-100bt.
MK Studio EUB -> fdeck HPF -> MS-100bt: {Acoustic Sim -> Avalon Di5 -> Ambience} -> Sonic Port XT
I recorded this direct from the Sonic Port XT with Music Memos. The only effect I toggle off is the Acoustic Sim at about half way. Everything in the brackets is an effect on the ms-100bt.
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I think both of these recorded examples show that the effect adds something very good. Although you each are using different brands of a similar devices, they both seem to bring a little bit of acoustic 'ump' or ambience to the direct sound. however I can imagine that in some live situations blended with other instruments, some of the subtitles that these modeler effects create might be lost..... but the same could be said for using a touch of reverb. I am convinced now that this is definitely something I want to look into getting for myself.
Nohrellas; have you heard of saxophonist Andy Middleton? He teaches Jazz at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien) and is a very good friend of mine. He is a great composer and a wonderful musician, please say hi to him for me if you ever go see him play.
Nohrellas; have you heard of saxophonist Andy Middleton? He teaches Jazz at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien) and is a very good friend of mine. He is a great composer and a wonderful musician, please say hi to him for me if you ever go see him play.
Interesting, sounds better with the acoustic sim IMO. With your EUB you also seem to get that proper thump, I still need to figure out a way to get that for the NXT. I'm thinking about building a proper foam mute for it. It just sings and has lots of sustain, which is nice in some cases, but doesn't really work if you want to get close to an acoustic upright tone.
I agree, I leave it on all the time. I raised the action pretty high like my DB on my EUB so I could dig into the strings. I do have foam but not on the bridge. I put mine under the strings at the tail piece, mainly to reduce vibrations.
Foam at the bridge muffles your sound quickly. A higher action let your left hand fingers do that. It's not the same, because you can vary the pressure of your fingers and also a higher action has less interaction of the string with the fingerboard. The NS EUBs are initially set up for bass guitar players, not double bass players.
Regarding my EUB vs. NXT, I think the piece of wood that my bridge is on top of is loose and vibrates like a top. That might account for the thump. MK makes essentially 3 designs, Studio/Fly, Jazz and Classic. The Studio/Fly has a small piece of wood that the bridge sits on, The Jazz has long thin piece of wood that is suspended slightly over the body with the bridge on top of it and the Classic has a traditional top though small. All three types have the piezo pickup under the piece of wood that vibrates. The NXT is one piece or at least tightly fitted pieces of wood, so it would have much more sustain.
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That's still low for an upright. Try one or two mm more.
And in case you still have the original contemporary strings you might want to change to traditionals.
I'm already using the traditionals.
That's what I gathered from the people here as well, it's a solid body instrument and that's why there is so much sustain. As I said I'll try to experiment with a foam mute of some sort to dampen that a bit.
I have a Stagg EUB as well and I use a piece of foam with slits for the strings and a velcro strap to apply pressure. This is pressed up against the bridge. Here is what it looks like:
It does help the notes to die out quicker, but if you play near the end of the fingerboard it mutes the notes completely.
I'm looking for suggestions for a first bow.
Anyone have experience with the NS Design carbon fibre bows?
My budget is about $300-350 US, tops.
If the NS bows are any good, I figure they're probably a safer bet than a cheap wooden one...
Anyone have experience with the NS Design carbon fibre bows?
My budget is about $300-350 US, tops.
If the NS bows are any good, I figure they're probably a safer bet than a cheap wooden one...
Carbon fiber bows usually sound a bit cold compared to a wooden one, but are more robust if your bow falls down on it's tip.
I would use wooden bows on concerts, but carbon bows on sessions and gigs in cramped spaces.
I would use wooden bows on concerts, but carbon bows on sessions and gigs in cramped spaces.
I'm not sure what you mean by that question, but I have several cheaper Chinese carbon fiber bows and a Finale bow and also bows made of brazilwood, IPE (pernambuco substitute) and snakewood.
Unless one wants to buy a cheap bow for starting, bows should be tested and compared before putting out a lot of money. If one only can get them by mail, order a bunch of different ones and choose one, then send the rest of them back. A teacher or experienced arco bass player can help choosing the best of them.
Steve;
This is just my opinion Y.M.M.V.
I've never seen or used an NS Design bow. I had a Gollihur brazilwood bow for a long time that I liked very much but sold it and got a Coda Conservatory Carbon Bow for under 300.00. I gambled and bought it on line. I am a klutz with a bow but I like this one and my teacher likes it better than his cheap Carbon Bow that he uses outside and on jazz gigs. (note: his cheap bow costs more than mine) My neophyte gut feeling is that while a wood bow may sound better/different, carbon bows are by design more consistent, therefore a good choice for a beginner. This bow is easier for me to play because of the weight and balance. My teacher has a very nice bow that he has let me try and while I may sound better with it, it is worth more than my bass!
I don't know if you have a teacher but maybe someone in your area can help you out. Right now you might not even know if you want a French or German style.
I spent a couple of hours at a specialty shop last night, auditioning three bows with my NXT: An entry-level $350 Cadenza composite, a Brazilwood Eastman in the same price range, and a $500 Richter (also Brazilwood) made in Germany.
The experience was compromised by the fact that he had assumed I would bring my own rosin, and only had violin rosin on hand. Still, it was an instructive experience.
He was able to draw a good sound out of all three bows, even though he's a violinist and not used to Bass, amplified or not. I struggled to avoid getting the octave harmonic instead of the fundamental, and kept drawing a weird, harsh upper resonance on the G string.
The biggest difference in tone didn't come from switching bows. It arose after he showed me how to improve my grip, and I grew more consistent. In other words, my lack of technique dwarfed the differences between the three bows.
Still, we both agreed on some consistent patterns:
The cheap Brazilwood bow was easier to control, but the more expensive German one produced a more focused tone and offered more dynamic range.
The Cadenza was the easiest to control, and the lighter weight was noticeable. However, it produced a colder, less complex signal. It didn''t pull as big and resonant tone out of the A and E strings.
Even though it didn't sound as fat as the others, I was consistently able to pull a weird rattle out of the G string with the Cadenza. The sound originated up towards the nut. I don't know if it's a loose winding on the 9 year old string, or interference from the fingerboard (he commented that I need to increase the neck relief).
Regardless, both wooden bows produced a fuller, more harmonically rich tone than the Cadenza, without exciting the rattle on the G string.
Fiddling with EQ helped to close the gap somewhat, but in the end it couldn't inject the missing harmonic content that the Cadence lacked.
I didn't make a purchase last night. Still, the tone of the German bow was good enough to make me lean towards that quality level, even though I found it harder to play consistently. From a learning perspective, I think it would make more sense to grow into the better bow, instead of settling for the cheap and easy options.
The experience was compromised by the fact that he had assumed I would bring my own rosin, and only had violin rosin on hand. Still, it was an instructive experience.
He was able to draw a good sound out of all three bows, even though he's a violinist and not used to Bass, amplified or not. I struggled to avoid getting the octave harmonic instead of the fundamental, and kept drawing a weird, harsh upper resonance on the G string.
The biggest difference in tone didn't come from switching bows. It arose after he showed me how to improve my grip, and I grew more consistent. In other words, my lack of technique dwarfed the differences between the three bows.
Still, we both agreed on some consistent patterns:
The cheap Brazilwood bow was easier to control, but the more expensive German one produced a more focused tone and offered more dynamic range.
The Cadenza was the easiest to control, and the lighter weight was noticeable. However, it produced a colder, less complex signal. It didn''t pull as big and resonant tone out of the A and E strings.
Even though it didn't sound as fat as the others, I was consistently able to pull a weird rattle out of the G string with the Cadenza. The sound originated up towards the nut. I don't know if it's a loose winding on the 9 year old string, or interference from the fingerboard (he commented that I need to increase the neck relief).
Regardless, both wooden bows produced a fuller, more harmonically rich tone than the Cadenza, without exciting the rattle on the G string.
Fiddling with EQ helped to close the gap somewhat, but in the end it couldn't inject the missing harmonic content that the Cadence lacked.
I didn't make a purchase last night. Still, the tone of the German bow was good enough to make me lean towards that quality level, even though I found it harder to play consistently. From a learning perspective, I think it would make more sense to grow into the better bow, instead of settling for the cheap and easy options.
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In the end, I picked up a sweet deal on an Eastman Cadenza. I found it far easier to draw a good tone out of it than the cheap fiberglass bows I tried, and the balance was better. A violinist friend warned me away from low-end Brazil wood bows- he teaches, and sees a lot of warped ones in the entry-level category.
A slight tweak of the truss rod on the NXT was enough to eliminate the fingerboard noises I was hearing, and when I get it right, the resulting tone is very nice.
However, control is clearly going to be an issue for a while. At times, I'm making noises that rival my son's first tryouts with a plastic Trombone for deadliness and inaccuracy!
A slight tweak of the truss rod on the NXT was enough to eliminate the fingerboard noises I was hearing, and when I get it right, the resulting tone is very nice.
However, control is clearly going to be an issue for a while. At times, I'm making noises that rival my son's first tryouts with a plastic Trombone for deadliness and inaccuracy!
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